Homemade Cake...Moist & Delicious

Score big with your family making homemade cake from scratch. Most homemade recipes really don't take any longer to put together than a bought mix and homemade is sooo much better!

Chocolate Cake

• 3/4 c. instant mashed potatoes
• 3/4 c. hot water
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 c. shortening

2/3 c. buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla

3 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 13x9x2 inch pan. Place potatoes in large bowl. Pour hot water over potatoes. Let stand until water is absorbed. Add remaining ingredients.

Beat on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, until blended, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes. Cool.

Crisp Topping

• 1/3 c. soft butter or oleo
• 1/2 c. chopped nuts
• 2/3 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. shredded or flaked coconut
• 1/4 c. half and half milk

Mix all ingredients together. Spread and broil 3 inches from heat until brown, about 3 minutes.

Easy Chocolate Sheet

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup oil or melted shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups Martha White® All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour 13x9-inch pan. In small bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda; mix well.

In medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup cocoa, water, oil, and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat,stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add eggs; blend well. Add flour, sugar and cinnamon; mix well. Pour batter into greased and floured pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.

Glaze

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

In medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup cocoa, and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat. Stir in vanilla. Gradually stir in powdered sugar; blend until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

Date Coffee Cake

• 1/2 cup very ripe mashed bananas
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cube butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup chopped dates

Topping

• 1/3 cup chopped dates
• 1/3 cup coconut
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl mix together bananas and butter until creamy. Add vanilla, eggs, and water and mix well. Add baking powder, flour, soda and mix well. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chopped dates. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and spread evenly.

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 or 25 minutes.

Chess Cake

First Layer:

• 1 stick oleo, melted
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 egg

Mix preceding ingredients and press in large Pyrex pan.

Second Layer:

• 1 box powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

Mix with hand mixer and pour over first layer. Bake at 350° for 25 - 35 minutes.

Fresh Apple Cake

• 1 c. cooking oil
• 3 c. chopped raw apple
• 2 c.sugar
• 1 c.pecans 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 c. self-rising flour

Mix well the beaten eggs, sugar, and oil. Add flour, small amounts at a time. Add apples, vanilla and nuts. (Dredge nuts with flour.) Bake 45 minutes at 350° in tube or Bundt pan.

Fresh Apple Cake II

• 1 1/4 c. oil
• 3 c. flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 3 c. apples, peeled, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. nuts, chopped
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. salt

Blend oil and sugar. Sift dry ingredients and add to oil and sugar mixture. Beat eggs slightly and add to batter. Add vanilla. Fold in apples and nuts. Grease large tube or Bundt pan. Bake at 250° for 1 1/2 hours. Cool and invert. Add topping.

Topping:

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. evaporated milk
• 1 stick margarine
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Cook to full boil. Beat and cool. Spread on apple cake.

Banana Split Cake

• 2 c. graham crackers
• 1 c. melted butter
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 sticks oleo, softened
• 1 large container Cool Whip
• 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
• 4 cut up bananas

Mix the first 2 ingredients and press into 8 x 111/2 inch cake pan. Mix powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla and oleo. Beat until fluffy and spread over crumb crust. Sprinkle pineapple and cut up bananas over first 2 layers. Top with Dream Whip.

Banana Split Cake II

• 2 c. graham crackers
• 3 tsp. oleo
• 3 or 4 bananas
• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 stick oleo
• 1 large container Cool Whip
• 1 large c. drained pineapple
• Nuts and cherries
• 2 egg whites

First Layer:

Mix 2 cups graham cracker crumbs with 3 tablespoons butter or oleo. Press into 13x9 inch pan.

Second Layer:

Beat the 2 egg whites and add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 stick oleo and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Beat 5 to 8 minutes.

Third Layer:

Slice 3 or 4 bananas, lengthwise and layer on top of the preceding mixture. Spread 1 large can of crushed pineapple on top.

Fourth Layer:

Spread 1 large container of Cool Whip on top. Sprinkle with nuts and cherries.

Orange Carrot Cake

(Two layer cake)

• 1 orange
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 c. flour (plain)
• 11/4 c. vegetable oil
• 2 c.sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 c. grated carrots
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. chopped nuts
• 2 tsp. nutmeg

Peel orange and section. Remove seed. Place in blender and puree. Reserve 1 tablespoon for use in frosting. Sift together dry ingredients. Add oil, then orange puree, mix well. Add eggs, combine thoroughly. Stir in carrots and nuts.

Line 2 (9 inch) pans with wax paper, grease. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes Cool. Frost.

Orange Carrot Cake Frosting:

• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
• 1 Ib. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. oleo
• 1 Tbsp. orange puree

Beat cheese and oleo. Add sugar and puree.

Pineapple Crunch Cake

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. quick oats
• 1 c. crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 yellow cake mix

Melt butter in 13x9 inch baking dish. Stir in brown sugar, spread pineapple over mixture. Sprinkle with pecans and oats. Prepare mix, following package directions.

Pour batter into prepared dish. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until done. Immediately turn onto plate so pineapple is on top. Yield: 16 servings.

Strawberry Cake

• 1 box white cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 box strawberry Jello
• 1 c. frozen strawberries
• 1 c. Wesson oil
• 1 c. coconut
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 c. pecans

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil, milk, eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add frozen strawberries, coconut and pecans. Mix well. Pour into greased pans and cook at 350°. Makes 3 layers.

Strawberry Jam Cake

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1/4 c. oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. water
• 1 pkg. vanilla pudding mix
• 1 small jar strawberry jam

Mix preceding ingredients, except strawberry jam. Bake in tube pan at 350° for 1 hour. Glaze with powdered sugar or strawberry jam.

Sugar Plum Cake

• 2 c. self-rising flour
• 3/4 c. salad oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. soda
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 c. cooked prunes, cut
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 c. chopped nuts
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Sift flour, add soda and sift together.Combine sugar, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, sift together with flour and soda.

To dry ingredients, stir in order given: Oil, eggs, buttermilk, prunes and nuts. Turn into greased and floured pan (13 1/2 x 11 x 2 1/2 inch). Bake for 40 minutes at 325°F.

When decorating with chocolate, you can make a quick decorating tube. Put chocolate in a heat-safe zipper-lock platic bag. Immerse in simmering water until the chocolate is melted. Snip off the tip of one corner, and squeeze the chocolate out of the bag.

To keep the pie plate clean while frosting, slide 6-inch strips of waxed paper under each side of the cake. Once the frosting is set, pull the strips away leaving a clean plate.

Professionally decorated cakes have a silky, molten look. To get that appearance, frost your cake as usual, then use a hair dryer to blow-dry the surface until the frosting slightly melts.

To ensure that you have equal amounts of batter in each pan, use a kitchen scale to measure the weight.

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